Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Negotiation Body Language Secret 731:
Super Mario Monte's Dominant Spider




























This is Mario Monte, aka "Super Mario". He's the Yale educated, Italian economist, politician, Bocconi University President and adviser to Goldman Sachs, who's been asked to step in as the Italian Prime Minister after Silvio Berlusconi's recent resignation. The gesture he's using here is what I call "The Dominant Spider". Like other palm-down gestures, it sends a message of authority and dominance. Palm down gestures should be used very sparingly and as the vast majority of the audience will feel patronized. "Overly Alpha Males" (and females) tend to use palm down gestures in excess. Such personalities do not lend themselves to negotiation or compromise (See Negotiation Secret # 702).

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